Ironing-machine



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

L. H. WATSON. IRONING MACHINE.

No. 439,453. Patented 001;.28, 1890.

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L. H. WATSON IRONING MACHINE No. 439,453; Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. H. WATSON IRONING MACHINE.

No. 489,453. Patented Oct. 28, 1890.

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' ter, showing the manner of supplying gas or elevation of a portion of the supporting-arm,

UNTTE STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

LEVIS II. \VATSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

lRONlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 439,453, dated October 28, 1890. I

Application filed August f1, 1888. Serial No. 281,994- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIS H. ATSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ironing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in ironing-machines in which the iron is moved upon the article being ironed and is supported upon a movable arm in such manner that the iron may be turned in any position at will upon its vertical axis.

The object of my invention is to provide an ironing-machine of the construction hereinafter described, whereby an effective machine is produced for accomplishing the purposes hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of an ironing-machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a vertical section through the iron to one side of the center, showing the handle in elevation and illustrating the manner of supporting the iron upon the overhanging arm of the machine, and also the manner of supplying air to the combustion-chamber of the iron; Fig. i, a similar view to the opposite side of the cenother combustible material to the combustion-chamber of the iron; Fig. 5, a horizontal section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4;; Fig. 6, a detail plan view of the burner; Fig. 7, a rear showing the connections of the air and gas supply pipes, and Fig. 8 a detail vertical section through the mixer for mixing air with the combustible gas or other material.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A indicates the ironing-table, 15 the frame supporting the same, and O a bracket projecting from the rear side thereof at an angle and provided with vertical eyes or bearings D, in which is loosely j ournaled a vertical rocking shaft E, to the lower end of which is connected by a swivel-joint F of any suit able character a foot-lever G, the free end of which projects toward the forward side of the machine, whereby the said shaft maybe lifted vertically or endwise in its bearings. To this shaft is rigidly secured by set-screws or in any other suitable manner a frame H, pro vided with eyes or bearings J, in which loosely work a vertical rod K, rigidly secured to and constituting a pivotal support for a swinging arm L, the post or body L of which is preferably east integral therewith, and for greater strength extends vertically parallel with the rod, and has an eye M in the lower end thereof, through which the rod projects and is rigidly secured therein by a set-screw N or in any other suitable manner.

The outer free end of the arm is formed into an eye 0, constituting a bearing for a short shaft or stem 1, formed integral with and projecting upwardly from an iron Q, to the upper end of which stein above the eye 0 is rigidly secured a handle R of ordinary construction, and preferably provided with a hand-shield S of sheet metal, by means of which handle the iron is suspended and held in position and the operator enabled to turn or rot-ate the iron in its bearings.

Between the iron and the arm, but attached to the latter and sleeved upon the stem P, is a burner 61, preferably consisting of a circular body provided with annular chambers Z) and c in the upper and lower faces thereof, re spectively, constituting gas and air chambers, the former of which is closed by the opposing face of the eye 0, while the latter is spanned but not entirely closed by a plate (I, secured to the burner, of a slightly-greater diameter than the outer circumference of the said annular chamber, and in a plane sufliciently below the lower face of the burner to leave an annular orifice 0 between the plate and the burner f or the escape of the air. The plate (Z projects down into a combustionchamber formed by a circular recess f in the upper face of the iron, into which the gas is conducted from the gas-chamber Z) by a series of oblique passages 9, extending therefrom and opening on the lower face of the burner between the edge thereof and the air-cham- IOO shown in Fig. 1, one on each side of the central strengthening-rib j, the said pipes each projecting slightly below the end of the post, where they are connected together by a twoway coupling is, having a straight passage Z, with which the air-pipe connects, and a contracted passage on, branching therefrom, with which the gas-pipe connects, so that a portion of the airfrom the air-supply will pass through the branch passage to the gas-pipe in order to supply the proper mixture of air with the gas before its ignition in the combustionchamber.

The gas is supplied to the pipe h through a supply-pipe it, connected therewith immediately above the coupling '70, which pipe is provided with the usual cock or valve 0 for controlling the supply of gas, and is connected to the flexible piping p, leading to the end of the main supply-pipe, at some suitable point at the floor, preferably about the end of the bracket 0, in order to permit the free movement of the supporting-arm without any liability of kinking or twisting the pipe. The air-supply pipe is likewise provided with a cook or valve q, to which is attached a similar flexible section of piping 0", also leading to about the same point at the floor as the gaspipe, where it is connected with the usual line-pipe leading from a fan for producing the necessary pressure; but I may here state that while such a connection of gas and air supply pipes is preferable, because by it I am enabled to dispense with all overhead connections, at the same time I do not desire to limit myself to this particular form of supplying the air and gas to the burner.

7 It will be observed that the weight of the supporting arm and post, the rock-shaft, and the swinging frame secured thereto all bear upon the iron through the medium of the-supporting-arm, thus causing the latter to bear with considerable pressure upon the ironingtable or the article laid thereon to be ironed; but notwithstanding such pressure the iron is free to be moved upon the table in any direction by reason of the double pivotal support of the iron, the supporting-arm permitting a lateral swing of the iron, while the swinging frame permits a forward and backward movement, as clearly shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, besides which the iron is free to be turned or to have an axial rotation in its bearings in the'supporting-arm, all of which movements are within the control of the operator, and may, if desired, be effected simultaneously, exactly as in the case of an ordinary hand-iron, except that the operator is relieved of the necessity of imparting pressure to the iron..

As a means of increasing the pressure of the iron over and above what is imparted to it by the weight of the supporting-arm and swinging frame, I employ a coil-spring s, sleeved upon the rock-shaft E and confined between the eye D of the bracket 0 and a collar t, rigidly secured to said shaft, the

spring being compressed under sufficient tension to at all times exert a powerful downward pressure on said shaft which is communicated through the swinging frame and supporting-arm to theiron, and this pressure may be readily adjusted by shift-ing the position of the collar.

The foot-lever G furnishes a ready means for lessening or overcoming the pressure upon the iron, and also for elevating it above the table a sufficient distance to permit the insertion or withdrawal of the article to be ironed, and this elevation may take place at any time regardless of the position of the iron upon the table. 77

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In an ironing-machine, the combination of the main frame,a vertically-moving frame pivoted upon the main frame, a spring for depressing the said vertically-moving frame, and an iron-supportin g arm vertically pivoted to the free end of the said pivoted frame and extending over the main frame, whereby the supporting-arm swings horizontally and is raised by the vertically-moving frame, substantially as shown.

2. In an ironing-machine, the combination, with the frame, the iron, and an arm supporting the same, of a swinging frame, a pivoted connection between said frame and arm, a vertical shaft to which said frame is secured loosely journaled in the main frame, a collar thereon, and a spring sleeved on said shaft and confined between said collar and the main frame for depressing said shaft, substantially as described.

3. In an ironing-machine, the combination, with the frame, the iron, an arm supporting the same, a swinging frame, and a pivoted connection between said frame and arm, of a vertical shaft to which said frame is secured loosely journaled in the main frame, a collar thereon, a spring sleeved on said shaft and confined between said collar and the main frame for depressing said shaft, a pivoted lever for elevating the shaft, and a universal joint between one end of said lever and shaft, substantially as described.

4. In an ironing-machine, the combination, with the pivoted iron provided with a combustion-chamber in the upper face thereof and an arm supporting the same, of a burner attached to said arm provided with annular chambers in the upper and lower faces thereof, constituting gas and air chambers, respectively, and having independent passages connecting said chambers with the combustionchamber in the iron, substantially as described.

5. In an ironing-machine, the combination, with a supporting-arm and an iron pivoted thereto having a combustion-chamber in its upper face, of a burner above the said iron havin g separate and distinct air and gas chambers and independent passages leading from each IIO to the said combustion-chamber, and inlet air and gas pipes connected with the said air and gas chambers, respectively, whereby the air and gas are mixed atthe combustion-chamber, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an ironing-machine, the combination, with a movable arm having a bearing on the end thereof, an iron provided with a stem working in said bearing, and a handle secured to the end of said stem, of a burner attached to said arm between the iron and the bearing thereof, provided with annular chambers in the upper and lower faces thereof. constituting gas and air chambers, respectively, having independent passages connecting said chambers with the combustion-chamber in the upper face of said iron, substantially as described.

LEWIS H. \VATSON. Witnesses:

W. R. OMOHUNDRO, ALBERT M. BENNETT. 

